This invention relates to keyboards of the divided type, whereby each hand is assigned a key group cluster; and in particular, this invention addresses the notion of dual vertically oriented keyboards.
Heretofore, there have been various interesting keyboard inventions having the apparent intent of improving the psychophysiological human-engineering aspects of efficient hand/finger mind coordination. However, none have actually addressed the currently more critical problem area traumatically impacting the physiopathology involved in intense repetative-motion tasks; particularly such task procedures involving one's upper extremities, --that is perse, the finger-thumb/hand/wrist/elbow/shoulder cooperatively articulated aggregation. Accordingly, in order to better understand the RMI(repetitive-motion injury)-disease pathogenesis involved in the occurance of so called Carpal-tunnel Syndrome, review of certain authorative medical articles as well as relevant prior patent-art is in order. For example, in the well respected American periodical "Occupational Health and Safety"(date?), Dr. S. J. Barrer-MD states that more study and information is now being directed toward job-induced cumulative-trauma disorders, than that known in the previous two-decades;--and carpal-tunnel syndrome(CTS) is the most devastating contender. He goes on to state that RMI induced CTS just a decade ago accounted for about 18% of occupational injuries, while more recently that figure has risen to some 48%. Dr. Barrer points out that in the past, using a typewriter meant occassionally pausing to make corrections by hand, rolling paper into and out of the carriage, pausing to look-up spelling of a word, etc.. These job "break interruptions" of repetitive-motion procedures are now becoming so automated, that as result, physical movement is much more intently repetitive--a word-processor operator may now perform some 23,000-keystrokes in a single uninterrupted period, with no relieving variation,--no "wrist rest" time. Dr. Barrer advises that the resultant stress is far more than the wrist was anatomically designed to handle. Although a single digital motion upon a modern touch-sensitive key may involve what seems a minor 1/2-lb. of pressure, the cumulative RM/loading-factor in one period can extrapolate to some 6-tons of working pressure! Hence, Dr. Barrer goes on to say, it is such repetition without adequate recovery-time which causes pain, inflammation, and swelling in the wrist's carpal-tunnel region. Excessive repetitions in a given time segment deny the wrist sufficient time span interval to produce it's natural lubricating-fluid;--the resulting friction, leads to swelling and scaring. The swollen scar-tissue then presses against the median-nerve running directly through the carpal-tunnel immediately adjacent thereto. In time, pressure atrophies the nerve which control the thumb and first three fingers;--the hands thus painfully cease to function adaquately, and the worker can become permanently disabled at considerable distress and crippling expense to all involved. It has been estimated that a company of some 100-employees, an increasing proportion of which are engaged in repetitive-motion procedures, will expend $1/4-million annually toward therapeutic treatment including carpal-ligament/incision-surgery and productivity lost to recover-time. In 1988, the U.S. Federal-agency OSHA(Occupational Safety and Health Admin.) determined it was time to aggressively penalize at least two major food-manufactures a combined total of $5.3-million, for alleged negligence in the face of knowledge about the dreaded RMI/CTS hazard. Ultimately, all this equates to higher cost of commodities for everyone, and Dr. Barrer summarizes by stating that prevention rather than treatment is the best productivity-enhancing approach;--unfortunately, nobody has heretofore offered a viable solution in overcoming this growing malady among keyboard operators. Accordingly, several other authoritative reference-articles have been filed with this invention-disclosure.
Toward addressing this data-processor's disease, there has been some notable invention activity, among which U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,966(filed-November 1986) discloses a simple "Carpal-tunnel Syndrome Screening-device", which tests of the right and left hands serves to indicate the individual's hand-strength both against a known "norm-factor" and possibly later against one's own pre-established strength quotient;--the purpose of which being to diagnose early onset of RMI/CTS. Rather than directly address the cause, subsequent thinking was directed toward orthopedically administering the symptoms, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,073(filed-July . 1989), which sets forth a "Remedial-device for Treatment of CTS" which is a type of therapeautic-prosthesis in the form of a rather cumbersome support-splint appliance applied about the hand and wrist, proporting to help relieve pressure of swelling; so as to thereby enable a person having CTS to manipulate their wrist without further aggravating the ailment. Similarly, later U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,460(filed-November 1989) shows a "Carpal Brace" applied about the hand and forearm as a light-weight splint; again, purporting to limit flexion, hyperextension and ulnar deviation of the wearer's wrist, so as to allow a natural healing process to proceed,--unless permanent damage has already been realized. Albeit better than nothing, these devices cannot truly solve the problem.
Special keyboard layout inventions attempt only to relieve awkward illogical keyboard operation difficulties, primarily by dividing the early Qwerty-layout(designated Sholes and Christopher's turn-of-the-century standardized upper-left keyboard-quadrant character sequence) into a centrally divided format; which now recognized improvements commonly referred to as the Dvorak(USA/circa-1932) and Maltron(L. G. Malt of England) formats, which approaches are substantially set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,507,376(filed-November 1967), 3,698,532(filed-August 1969), 3,945,482(filed-December 1973), 4,081,068(filed-October 1976), 4,310,254(filed-November 1980), 4,669,903(filed-April 1985), 4,824,268(filed-April 1987), and 5,017,030(filed-July 1986);--which largely endeavor to ease the problematical keyboard reach-frequency, by in some instances having the forearms positioned at an approximate right-angle to one another,--such divisionally slightly rotated keyboards being incidentally discovered to somewhat relieve incidence of trauma to the wrist ligaments, especially by more obese persons. Still other inventors endeavored to address the keyboard problem via specially arranged, albeit still essentially horizontal, keyboards in which a "tickling" finger or thumb movement is largely exerted; such as is exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,693,184filed-October 1969) and 4,265,557(filed-January 1979).
Next, another progression in keyboard ergonomics is defined in U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,553(filed-March 1981), wherein the divided-keyboard is set upon a common transverse platen so as to enable the user to space apart the horizontal keypads at a comfortable interval. Then U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,573(filed-August 1988) showed a divisional-keyboard physically arranged into two separate horizontal-keypads featuring portions wherein the keys are set on a vertical plane, so as to readily facilitate a more elaborate "tickling"-motion of the respective thumb and fingers. Also somewhat addressing the problem of relieving musculature tension, U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,196(filed-November 1989) shows dual laterally adjustable horizontal hand-palm rests relative to a substantially conventional horizontal keyboard.
Believed most somewhat relevant to the present invention hereof, is the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,565(filed-August 1974) describing a "Remote-control Bifurcated Typewriter-keyboard w/Universal Input Matrix Switch" showing a now outmoded special typewriter having a normally horizontal albeit substantially built-in divided-keyboard(conventional) arranged so that additional space may be optionally made therebetween for resting of text-copy. Two slightly different generic keypad variant embodiments are set forth, either of which may, if desired, be conveniently rearranged vertically at one's forward lateral left and right, one being retractable upon telescopic supports, the other outwardly via extensile-cord connections. Either vertical provision thereby having the "principal object" of enabling the operator to place them to each side upon a table or desk, so that text-copy may be conveniently layed therebetween, while the user views a suitably magnified periscopic copy-readout situated remotely forward of the operator in the main-housing. The dual keypads are not adaptable to be universally compatible with any other typewriter mainhousing, nor are they capable of laptop operation. That this invention never received commercial acceptance, is believed owing to the lack of provision for convenient visual character keyboard reference while typing thereon, nor is there provision for relaxed positioning of the hands/wrists/forearms in a suitably supported manner, so as to address RMI/CT(which syndrome became identified years later).
Another considered relevant albeit optionally divided-keyboard art is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,005 (filed-January 1984), which discloses a "Splitable-keyboard for Word-processing Typing and Other Information-input Systems", and (FIG'S. -2A/B, and 7C w/text ref's. found at Col. -7/lower and col.-8/upper) suggests that their built-in keypad units may be partially(each keypad comprised of two portions, one portion thereof always remaining horizontal) pivotally adjusted toward 45-degrees of slope (relative to a longitudinally oriented lateral incremental axes), thereby providing greater comfort to the operator's hands. Since declination to this extreme attitude by the user made reading of individual keytop character indicia to difficult, the inventor proposed additional like indicia be applied to the at once upwardly side-surface of each digital-key unit(FIG. -8A w/text ref. col.-9/lower), thereby making the key-indicia in this moderately inclined attitude more visually accessable. A further problem with the invention, was that it positioned the CRT (cathode-ray tube)-display to close to the user's eyes; which has been found to induce fatigue via eye-strain.
Still another reference, is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,604(filed-September 1982), which shows a retractable-keyboard configuration for a terminal, whereby a second-keyboard is provisionally concealed intimately beneath the primary-keyboard surface, and is made longitudinally extensile/retractile according to user requirement.
Therefore, in view of the assessed limitations found in the preceding prior-art of interest, the inventors hereof have established a development enterprise under the mfg./mkt. auspices of "The VERTICAL".TM. in LaJolla, Calif.